I’m on the Highway to Northwest Highway
Steak houses are almost always in older buildings. Perhaps it is for the aesthetic of the Wild West, or maybe it’s a trend people like to follow. Jacobs writes, “The intimate restaurant or good steak house… it is these kinds of enterprises for which old buildings are so congenial.” Steak houses draw attention and keep the customer interested when they look more rustic and historical. There is one right by my house and although it is not in an older building, it is in one that was made to look like it had been there a while. It is called Firewater and it has multiple kinds of steaks along with a variety of other foods, such as tacos and omelets. Another steakhouse is Outback Steakhouse, which is usually not in a rustic building, but is still pretty delicious when it comes to the flavor of the steak. The only downside is how expensive the bill can come out to be.
I chose to walk along the block of Northwest Highway that is in between Oliphant Ave and Oshkosh Ave. I chose this street because I walk it every day on my way to school. This street is always busy, and not just with cars and buses. At first glance, one would think Park Ridge crammed itself into one block. There are so many restaurants and some small businesses. My favorite spot on this block is Tony’s Market. I like it because it is a small yet loaded market where I can stop by on my way home from school. I usually grab a snack and a water bottle, but they have so much more. There’s mainly Italian food and I have to keep myself from buying all of it. It always smells like salami and soup.
Other popular stops on this block include The Curragh, Don Juan, and Café Touche. These are all restaurants, but they all offer different foods. Curragh offers a variety of foods, but it is mainly an Americanized Italian restaurant. Don Juan offers a wide selection of Mexican food, and Café Touche is French. All the restaurants are pretty affordable, and they add to the constant aroma of food on this block.
A place I frequently visit is the flower shop next to Café Touche. I would go there to get flowers for homecomings and proms during high school and the women who work there know me pretty well. I love looking at the flowers and cacti and seeing how they change week by week.
This block gets decorated seasonally. During Thanksgiving, the trees turn red and brown, and the community decorates the neighborhood for the Turkey Trot towards Thanksgiving. During Christmas, the block is decorated with festive lights and lighted shapes, such as snowflakes and snowmen. The people who walk this street also change seasonally. As it gets colder, fewer people are seen outside. Those who are bundle up and still find time to socialize in the cold. The community in Edison Park stays pretty close, and this block is the place to gather.
In my walking journal, I talked about why I like to walk on Northwest Highway. The street is always busy and popular. There’s always cars and buses passing by. I love running to the Curragh and Tony’s for snacks during the week. The salads at The Curragh are amazing. The block is generally pretty safe, and nobody judges anyone. Considering thus, it’s no wonder that Edison Park is diverse.
Northwest Highway is an amazing street to walk down in general, so for me to walk it every day and hear what people say, smell the amazing food, and fall even more in love with my community is a blessing.
